The database contains data that could be very helpful to researchers working to find solutions to some of humanity’s most urgent issues. Over a billion people worldwide are affected by “neglected tropical diseases,” which are related to by 17 proteins in the database. According to The Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI), the database may make it easier than ever for researchers to find compounds that can treat underdiagnosed diseases. In an effort to combat leishmaniasis and Chagas disease, DNDI is using the database itself.
The database’s availability for free thanks to DeepMind and EMBL is also a major help to scholars and academics in underdeveloped nations. Since several of those nations are disproportionately affected by the diseases that AlphaFold can help combat, the absence of a financial barrier may be essential for advancing frontline research initiatives.
John Jumper, a research scientist at DeepMind and the lead for the AlphaFold database, has great expectations for it. Jumper claims “In order for other teams to benefit from and expand on the advancements we made, we shared AlphaFold. The field of AI research has recently seen a large influx of new players who are building on AlphaFold’s innovations to make even more strides. The field of structural biology is entering a really new era, and technologies based on AI will accelerate tremendous advancement.”
The creation of the database and the models it makes use of are just two more instances of how artificial intelligence is altering the world. AI has advanced significantly in recent months. Although the idea frequently receives bad attention, primarily because of worries that it might someday become self-aware and put an end to humanity, in actuality, it’s doing a lot of good. In addition to utilizing AI to treat diseases, researchers hope to use it to detect and help gambling addicts and to level the playing field in athletic events.
